History Main / ShovelStrike

* According to [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], the short-handled [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrenching_tool trench spade]] made such an effective weapon that Soviet Spetsnaz carried them even though they were generally never called upon to dig trenches.

* During the climax of ''Film/TerrorTrain'', [[spoiler:the conductor hits Kenny twice a shovel, knocking him out of the car, ehere he falls off a bridge and into the frozen river]].

* Chiri Kitsu of ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' uses a shovel as one of her preferred ways of inflicting violence (although she sometimes goes for [[KnifeNut knives]] instead). She also uses it to bury her kills, and "to bury" is one implication of her MeaningfulName.

TruthInTelevision: after studying the infantry dynamics of the World Wars, most modern military forces have been giving their entrenching tools a semi-sharp tool edge that can easily be honed further before a battle to increase its cutting power. Plus, it takes training to become proficient with bayonet, knife or sword combat - but practically every male and most females on Earth [[BoringButPractical have used shovels sometime in their lives]]. It is also frequently used as a RealLife EmergencyWeapon against dangerous animals, since it can provide good reach and hitting power and a surprisingly effective cutting edge, making it an effective axe[=/=]spear hybrid.

* Aizawa Nagisa in ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'' uses a "[[InsistentTerminology sleep induction device]]" as her close-quarters weapon of choice. In a later chapter, she gets in a shovel duel with [[spoiler:her future self]], who is capable of using her own shovel [[UpToEleven to slice Aizawa's in half]].

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The Death Korps of Kreig specialize in trench and siege warfare, so have a special affinity for the "entrenching tools" that every single soldier carries. In-Universe, they're trained to use it as a weapons, as befits their inspiration (see the German Army entry in RealLife below). [[MemeticMutation Memetically]], [[UpToEleven however]], the fandom has the Kreigers treat ''any'' type of shovel with [[CargoCult religious awe]], and charging Chaos Space Marines and Tyranid Tyrants with naught but a [[SuicidalOverconfidence sharpened spade]].

* The Shovel in ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'' has the widest swing arc of all melee weapons. Since melee weapons can reflect or destroy most projectiles, it makes for a fantastic defensive weapon. It also deals a decent amount of damage; its only downside is its slow swing speed. The Ultra version takes it UpToEleven, increasing the damage and swing speed, at the cost of some [[ExperiencePoints rads]] per swing.

** Rifles, especially the long rifles issued during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, were too cumbersome for the confined spaces of trenches. Many bayonets (especially the British "sword" style bayonets) were themselves too long on top of the already too cumbersome rifles. Knives, hammers, spades, and even brass kncukles, were supposedly preferred over bayonets in close combat in the trenches.

* ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'' has a shovel as a weapon. If you down an opponent with it, instead of stomping them as a follow-up attack as usual, you jab it into their chest and stomp on ''the shovel''. Ouch.
* A character mod for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' from [[http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Moderated=1&Reported=All&Wifi=0&Name=*crossing*&ByUser=*&Credit=*&Info=*&Thumb1=*&Type=**&TypeAlt=* Brawl Vault]] turns Ness into the boy villager from ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingCityFolk''. The front smash becomes a shovel.

** As of Ultimate, Shovel Knight joins the battle as an assist trophy. He's able to use his shovel blade to either throw chunks of dirt at an enemy, or shovel drop onto them from above.

* When a wereskunk tries to beat up Rigby in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', Mordecai gets him to back off by threatening him with a shovel.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' has Gwen; her shovel strike of doom in season two has become a MemeticMutation among the fanbase.

* The [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks U.S. Army]] Combatives Field Manual actually advocates the use of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrenching_tool entrenching tool]] as a field-expedient weapon when better alternatives are unavailable.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwLmaQyl2RY This video]] is a clip of U.S. Army training with the e-tool. According to the video info, it was filmed in 1997.
** In 2018, there was a minor kerfuffle when the highest-ranked NCO in the US military declared in a [[BadassBoast morale-boosting Facebook post]] that US forces would, in extremis, beat ISIS fighters to death with entrenching tools. The resulting backlash from some more squeamish commentators led to a [[https://www.lawfareblog.com/shovels-lawful-weapons-or-war-crime whole blog post]] about how using shovels in combat is not a violation of UsefulNotes/TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar.

* ''Wild West Guns'', being set in the Old West, have most of your enemies using firearms, save for the gravediggers in the cemetery levels who use gigantic shovels instead. Somehow getting hit by their shovels deals roughly the same health damage as bullets, arrows or flung knives.

* ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi'':
** After being forced to [[spoiler:betray his friends]], [[TheDogBitesBack Makoto]] hits [[spoiler:Saejima]] in the head with a shovel.
** [[AxCrazy Joey]] swings a shovel at Eikichi's head, but misses.

* In ''[[VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame Lego Indiana Jones]]'', several characters have a shovel as their special item, allowing them to dig, which is necessary to solve a lot of puzzles. They will also use their shovel in combat, because they don't have a short-range weapon and [[RuleOfCool it looks cooler than punching.]]

* ''Series/{{CSI}}'': The VictimOfTheWeek in the B plot in "Turn of the Screws" is a 13 year old girl who gits hit with shovel. The blade severs her spinal column causing her to asphyxiate.

* The shovel is also featured in ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}''. Though they use the sharpened edges to rack up some kills.

* ''VideoGame/NoMoreRoomInHell'': One of the weapons available to the survivors is the shovel. It is a fairly common weapon and can be found in almost all maps. Like with all melee weapons in the game, the shovel has a weak attack and a strong, charged attack.

* ''Film/ClownKilr'': [[MonsterClown Charlie Boy]] kills the boss in the office building by hitting him in the head with a shovel. He continues to do so even after the boss is already dead until his head is crushed completely.

* ''Film/ClownKiller'': [[MonsterClown Charlie Boy]] kills the boss in the office building by hitting him in the head with a shovel. He continues to do so even after the boss is already dead until his head is crushed completely.

* Leaky-Eye Luka uses a shovel as his weapon of choice in the ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo Vento Aureo]]'' segment of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. [[spoiler: He winds up hurting ''himself'' when he [[LaserGuidedKarma tries to slam a frog with it.]] Reason? The frog was a creation of Gold Experience--meaning that any injuries it would have suffered are instead sustained by the attacker...]]